How will the major changes in visa interviews at the U.S. Consulate affect applicants who are about to come to the United States?

How will the major changes in visa interviews at the US Consulate affect applicants who are about to come to the United States?

The U.S. Visa Center website issued a notice that starting from March 1, 2019, the U.S. Consulate General in Chengdu and Shenyang will not accept H or L visa applications. This means that the only three consulates in the consular district of the U.S. Embassy in China that can accept H and L visas are Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Involving H and L visas, relative visas are also affected

It is worth noting that these two visas are also non-immigrant investment visa types set up for applicants to work in the United States. Among them, H-category special skilled worker visas include: H-1A professional nurse visa, H-1B employment visa, H-2A short-term agricultural worker visa, H-2B short-term skilled and unskilled worker visa, and H-3 Several types of trainee visas. Since most of the H-1B visas applied for by Chinese students studying abroad are generally applied for in the United States, affected by this current policy, only a small number of them are overseas in the United States and their H-1B visas expire and must be outside the United States. Those who apply for this visa again from the embassy.

The L visa is mainly for staff of multinational companies, including the L-1A overseas senior management visa and the L-1B overseas professional and technical personnel visa. Anyone who applies for an L-1 visa in China to go to the United States will need to undergo an interview process in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou in the future. The acceptance of business reception/vacation tourist visas to the United States from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen will be at risk

After the review of the consulate generals in Chengdu and Shenyang for accepting H and L visas has been revoked, the consular district of the US Embassy in China can accept H and L visas The consulates for category visas will be concentrated in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. In addition, the total number of H and L category visa applications processed by the consulates in these three places is relatively high, making it more difficult to book interviews and increase the waiting time for interview cases. .

In addition, due to the increase in the workload of visa processing at the consulates in these three places, it will further affect people who apply for Category B business reception/holiday tourist visas in these three places. Compared with the approval volume of H and L visas, the approval volume of B business reception/vacation tourist visas accounts for a larger proportion. Therefore, it is estimated that those applying for U.S. B visas after March 1 will also encounter difficulties in booking at this time. , the situation where the waiting time for case trial is extended. It is recommended that applicants make arrangements in advance.